Week 14: "Lemon"

This week's big developments: Your baby can now squint, frown, grimace, pee, and possibly suck his thumb! Thanks to brain impulses, his facial muscles are getting a workout as his tiny features form one expression after another. His kidneys are producing urine, which he releases into the amniotic fluid around him — a process he'll keep up until birth. He can grasp, too, and if you're having an ultrasound now, you may even catch him sucking his thumb. In other news: Your baby's stretching out. From head to bottom, he measures 3 1/2 inches — about the size of a lemon — and he weighs 1 1/2 ounces. His body's growing faster than his head, which now sits upon a more distinct neck. By the end of this week, his arms will have grown to a length that's in proportion to the rest of his body. (His legs still have some lengthening to do.) He's starting to develop an ultra-fine, downy covering of hair, called lanugo, all over his body. Your baby's liver starts making bile this week — a sign that it's doing its job right — and his spleen starts helping in the production of red blood cells. Though you can't feel his tiny punches and kicks yet, your little pugilist's hands and feet (which now measure about 1/2 inch long) are more flexible and active. (http://www.babycenter.com/)

I am officially in the second trimester...woohoo!!! I'm just hoping that I start to feel like I am pretty soon. Not alot has changed since last week -- still feel sick off and on -- some good days, some bad days. But on my good days, I am starting to feel a little more like myself. I'm even starting to get hungry now and actually want to eat. Before, I would just eat because I knew I needed to in order to avoid getting sick...and to avoid death. Now I'm just looking forward to food actually tasting good again.

My innie belly button is slowly starting to turn into an outie...that has been funny to see. It's the truest sign I have that my belly is growing. As many of you know, I have my belly button pierced. I've debated on whether I want to take it out or not. They make these pregnancy belly rings now (they are flexible so they move with your belly), so you have an option of keeping it. I purchased a couple of the pregnancy belly rings and I've decided to keep it in for now (not that I'll ever show my tummy again after I have this baby, but I just didn't want to give it up quite yet). If it starts to get irritated or something, I might have to revisit that decision.

I know some of you have mentioned that you don't think I have a "bump" at all yet, but believe me, it's there. Here is my 14 week picture.

I am leaving tonight to go to Madison to stay with my sister, Jackie, for the week. Her husband is on a fishing trip, so my mom and I are going to go and keep her company. Poor Teirney will be driving me all the way there tonight and is coming back tonight as well. Then he is coming to Madison on Friday, spending the night, and then we're driving to Oshkosh for a wedding on Saturday and staying with our good friends, Jason and Amy and their two beautiful daughters. It's going to be another busy week! Teirney is also worried the baby will think its father has abandoned it because I've been away from him so much. I assured him that was not the case.

Stay cozy and warm in there Bebito -- grow baby, grow! :-)